Chapter 3  / Research Ethics Web Resources

Ethical Codes

All the professional associations for the social sciences have an ethical code of conduct. Below are links to the online ethical codes of several professions engaged in social research.

American Sociological Association Code of Ethics

Code of Ethics of the American Anthropological Association

Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct

AAPOR Code of Professional Ethics and Practices

Other Guides for Conducting Ethical Research

	Title 45 Code of Federal Regulations, Part 46
	The Department of Health and Human Services federal regulations for the protection of human subjects applies to all research involving human subjects that is supported directly or indirectly by the federal government. All institutions covered by this policy must establish an Institutional Review Board to assure compliance with the policy.

	Guidelines for the Conduct of Research Involving Human Subjects
	This brochure prepared by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) offers guidelines on how to protect the rights and safeguard the welfare of research participants. Particularly useful are Appendices 3 and 4, which show the steps in applying ethical principles and the regulatory requirements for IRB review.

	Sociological Research: Ethical Concerns
	Sociologist David Hummon of Holy Cross prepared this brief ethical guide for students who are doing social research.

	Informed Consent Checklist
	This checklist gleaned from the DHHS Code of Federal Regulations outlines the essential elements and documentation necessary to acquire informed consent.

	Confidentiality in Social Science Research
	In this statement prepared for Worcester Polytechnic Institute students involved in research projects, Wes Jamison defines confidentiality and discusses practices for assuring it.

Certificates of Confidentiality Kiosk

This site provides information about Certificates of Confidentiality issued by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to prevent the forced disclosure of confidential research information. The Certificates allow the investigator to refuse to disclose identifying information on research participants in any legal proceedings. They may be granted for studies collecting sensitive information (e.g., drug use or other illegal activities) that, if disclosed, could have adverse consequences for subjects such as by damaging their reputation or employability.

Tutorial on the Welfare and Rights of Human Research Participants

	Human Participant Protections Education
	This free online tutorial on the rights and welfare of human participants in research satisfies the NIH human subjects training requirement for obtaining federal funds. Users can print a certificate of completion upon completing the course.